Emotional event-related potentials are reduced if negative pictures presented at fixation are unattended

► Emotional processing varies with task relevance. ► Is this true for strong negative pictures at fixation? ► Emotional pictures evoke two event-related potentials: EPN and LPP. ► When pictures at fixation were task irrelevant, EPN and LPP were reduced. ► Thus, even emotional processing at fixation varies with attention.